WINTER'S POVTWO DAYS LATERAs I walked through the courtyard, my hand gently caressed my tummy, feeling my baby's kicks. A smile spread across my face, filling me with warmth. But just as quickly as the smile appeared, it vanished when my eyes collided with Rafael's.Startled, I halted in my tracks and swiftly turned in the opposite direction. I hadn't expected to see him after everything that had transpired two days ago. I couldn't avoid him forever, considering I was temporarily living in his pack. Also, I tried to forget he existed, but my attempts proved futile as the thoughts of Slade reminded me of him, or I caught glimpses of him when I least expected it.Until now, we hadn't come close to each other. I started walking back toward the hall's exit, but my steps faltered as he called my name."Winter."Turning, I forced a bright smile and turned again, pretending to ignore him. However, a startled gasp escaped my lips as he tugged me backwards, pressing me against the nearest wa
RAFAEL'S POVI heard her, but it was easy to pretend that I hadn't. Then again, I wouldn't know what to say if I told her I heard her. What happened earlier wasn't my intention. I couldn't say I fully understood what had happened until I left her presence.After seeing her again in my dream, I awoke with unease. She was at the centre of my problems, and every time I tried to make progress, her presence sabotaged my efforts.The goddess and the seer hadn't been much help either. They provided no information about her. Consulting the seer only made things worse as she advised me to keep her around, believing that my answers lay with her. Yet, I ended up with Vivian. Why?Everything was confusing. The more I thought of it, the more it confused me."Rafael..." I stopped in my tracks as Vivian appeared in the doorway."Alpha," An Eta, Jake said as he walked towards me."Yes?" I raised an eyebrow, ignoring Vivian as she approached me as well."They're here," Jake informed me. "Your presence
RAFAEL'S POV"Will you at least give me some attention for the day instead of ignoring me?" Vivian grumbled as she stepped into the room.Without hesitation, I grabbed her abruptly and shut the door behind her, pushing her into it. A gasp escaped her parted lips, quickly replaced by a moan as my lips covered hers. Vivian's hands wound around my neck, and she pressed herself against me, returning the kiss with equal intensity."This is surprising," she muttered as I pulled back slightly, allowing her to catch her breath."What is?" I murmured, my gaze still fixed on her lips. My insides churned as I noticed the red lipstick smearing. I was sure I had the same lipstick on parts of my face, especially my lips.It wasn't that I didn't find it attractive on her; it was just weird. All I could think about was Winter. I wanted to despise her for making me feel these strange sensations and emotions that were entirely new to me, but it seemed futile.After leaving her with the Hunters, as they
Rafael's POV:I stared at him for a few seconds before speaking. "And why are you telling me this? You're in the Eta for a reason, or do I need to reassess the teams I have? Because none of you seem to be doing your damn job!"If they had been doing their assigned tasks properly, Winter and her brother wouldn't have been able to infiltrate the pack in the first place. She would have been long dead, and I wouldn't be standing here, conflicted about her."No," he began, shaking his head. "The thing is, the intruders didn't come for us; they came for the Lady.""What, Lady?" I muttered, narrowing my eyes."Lady Winter," he replied."How many are there, and what species?""There are about five of them," he answered. "As for their species, I have no idea because—""Pretty useless," I mumbled, shoving him out of the doorway as I stepped outside.I had claimed that whatever happened to Winter didn't concern me and that she should handle her problems. But there was no way I would allow her to
WINTER'S POV"What was I thinking?" Did I believe Rafael would eventually come to me? Why would he even want to do that?I agree that this was the pinnacle of my foolishness.Rafael had warned me to stay away. He had explicitly said that I meant nothing to him, and he wouldn't even bat an eye if I died. He might as well have been the first to light my funeral pyre! Damn it! The rejection between us was final, and perhaps I should have taken the hint and stopped crossing paths with him. But for the life of me, I didn't know why I kept doing so.I wasn't prepared for the pain, the overwhelming surge of emotion that blinded me when I saw them together earlier. I had wanted to discuss the Vordrak Lycan, the hunters' warning, but I wish I hadn't wasted my energy.I wished I had stayed in the room to meditate on the thoughts myself!The image of him between Vivian's thighs would forever be etched in my mind. I would never forget that. Glancing around the room, including the bed we once shar
RAFAEL'S POVThe rain beat heavily on the ceiling. I had been awake for a while, but I didn't feel like getting out of bed. Aside from Vivian, who was curled up tightly against me like a magnet, I enjoyed the warmth the bed provided.My ears perked up as I listened to the rumble of thunder, feeling Vivian's hands wrapped tightly around me."I'm scared," she murmured, causing me to roll my eyes.I was well aware of her fear of thunder while we were together. She had once been caught up in a terrible storm which almost cost her her life, but her parents luckily found her. I knew more about Vivian than she knew about herself. But telling me about her fear, I didn't understand what she wanted me to do with that information."I hate storms," Vivian groaned, stretching languidly on the bed before sitting up straight. She ran a hand through her hair and rubbed her eyes before locking them onto mine. "How long have you been awake?" she asked."For a while," I muttered."What are you thinking
WINTER'S POVI jolted awake abruptly and immediately regretted it as my head throbbed from the sudden motion. It felt heavy, as though an extra weight had been attached to it, and my body ached as if I had been run over by a truck.Doubting my ability to move limbs, I remained upright with dazed eyes. It took a few minutes for me to regain my bearings and assess my surroundings.I found myself in the pack's infirmary, although not the Moon Stone pack infirmary. This one was larger and felt more advanced than any place I had ever seen. It was clear that this was my first time being here.Therefore, I couldn't tell which of the pack I was in exactly.I struggled to recall why I was lying in bed wearing a patient dress. Furrowing my brows, I turned to my side as a throat cleared nearby."Did you enjoy your sleep, little miss Perfect?" a voice called out."Rafael," I mumbled, eyeing him as he sat in a white plastic chair with his legs spread apart."Yes, that's me," he replied, a cheeky g
RAFAEL POVThe storm raged on, worse than I had anticipated. From my vantage point on the balcony, I could see that it had devastated parts of the pack house while water continued to rise. I doubted anyone in the lower building would survive if the rain persisted."What should we do about the members on the lower floor? Most of them are omegas and could die if we don't take action. And that means we'll lose valuable workers," James, an Eta, said.As I observed the rushing water, nearing the level of the lowest building with people struggling outside, I furrowed my brows. Their attempts to swim were futile as the water mercilessly pulled them. I turned to him and instructed, "Allow them to evacuate to a higher floor above the flood level. And if it reaches that level again, they should move even higher.""Very well, sire," he replied, bowing before swiftly leaving the room.I made my way back to the infirmary, only to find Winter missing from where I had left her. Naomi was tending to